Circular
26/2021
Barcelona, 25 November 2021
 
To the members of the World Council
To the Secretaries General
To the Vice-Presidents of United Cities and Local Governments
To the Chairs of UCLG Committees, Working Groups, Communities of Practice and Fora

For information: To the Presidency

Encourage your national governments to uphold UHC commitments 

 
Dear members,
 
Ahead of the World Health Assembly, on 29 November, and the upcoming World Health Coverage Day on 12 December, the importance of strengthening our calls to ensure health for all and to become involved in decisions that affect health in our cities grows stronger by the minute.
 
The World Health Organization (WHO) is engaged in negotiations to develop a global pandemic treaty, an ambitious piece of international legislation that would allow us to develop a new architecture to deal with future outbreaks, learn from our mistakes and ensure equality in the access to vaccines.
 
It is critical to reinstate universal health coverage is a necessity in the recovery. As front liners, local and regional leaders have been an integral part of maintaining healthy cities during the worst of the pandemic, of investing in health now, and joining any and all initiatives that can strengthen the framework of basic services and security to be able to respond to future pandemics, is crucial.
 
Ahead of the important milestones on healthcare this year and towards 2023, we are calling on you to send a letter to your national governments to remind of the commitments undertaken towards universal health coverage, to join WHO endeavours to develop a global pandemic treaty, and to reiterate the necessity of whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches to health and healthcare to ensure our communities are protected and we are able to face challenges in a resilient manner.
 
You will find hereafter an information note for your convenience, as well as a draft letter to encourage your national governments to join the call and uphold their commitments to ensure a safe, sustainable, and resilient recovery that can provide a healthy environment for all.
 
The World Secretariat remains at your disposal for any questions you might have: policy@uclg.org.

 
Sincerely,

The UCLG World Secretariat